Will Christmas airfares get cheaper than they are right now?

October 2, 2008 2:28 PM

I need to travel the weekend after Christmas, returning the weekend after New Years. Am I likely to find cheaper air fares if I wait?

I need to travel either from Minneapolis or Chicago to Denver, and then back, departing Dec. 28 (+/- 1 day) and returning Jan 2. I've found fares in the $250-$300 range that I'm considering, but I'm wondering if, historically, airlines have some sale or release some block of tickets later that I should hope to capitalize on. I can't imagine it's the case, but I know you know.

posted by blueshammer to Travel & Transportation (3 answers total)

You probably won't get much cheaper than $250 on anything right now or later. Farecast gives you more ideas about "buy now" or "wait", though.
posted by mattbucher at 2:53 PM on October 2, 2008

Southwest 21 day advance web fares may be better than that, if Southwest is even an option. If it's not, I'd lock in 300 RT and be happy about it.
posted by COD at 3:23 PM on October 2, 2008

Many years of flying internationally for Christmas have shown me that the best time to buy flights home are around now.
The cost is not the only consideration, also seat availability may dry up as people book closer to the festive period.

You may luck into a slightly cheaper flight by playing with your days.

As it happens, I booked our flights (and that of the cat) on Monday this week. This was another consideration, airlines only have so much capacity for pets and this tends to get filled up sooner rather than later.
posted by arcticseal at 5:37 PM on October 2, 2008